Purpose: Is it reasonable to use consequent UV-protection for the eyes although UV-protection has a protective effect against myopia.
Introduction: Myopia is typically caused by elongation of the eyeball. This kind of ametropia has a strongly increasing prevalence in the last decades. UV-radiation has many negative consequences for the skin and the eyes. Beside the acute photokeratitis are pinguecula, pterygia, epithelial squamous cell neoplasia, cataract, age related macular degeneration and malign melanoma chronic changes. On the other hand, UV-radiation decreases or blocks the elongation of the eyeball.
Model calculation: The risk for myopia can be calculated using the year of birth, the use of sun protection, family history, time spent outdoors and education level. Sometimes used sun protection versus often used sun protection protects against the development of myopia with a factor of 1.03. The biggest risk for getting myopic comes from familiar predisposition.
Discussion: Time spent outdoors inhibits myopia strongly, sun protection slightly forces its development. Sun protection is a strong protective factor of UV-caused eye- and skin disease. To renounce sun protection for myopia protection seems to be unreasonable.